Gd-BOPTA-enhanced excretory MR urography without administration of diuretics.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of Gd-BOPTA enhan ced excretory magnetic resonance urography without additional administratio n of diuretics in correlation with conventional urography. Method: 15 preop erative patients with pelvic tumors were examined at 1.5 T using a breath-h old high-resolution 3D-FLASH sequence during first-pass as well as 5, 10, 1 5 minutes after iv. injection of 0.05 mmol/kg BW Gd-BOPTA (MultiHance(R)) w ithout administration of diuretics. Post-processed coronal and multiplanar MIP reconstructions were compared to conventional excretory urography with regard to morphologic accuracy, anatomic variability, filling defects, caus e and level of obstruction or compression, tumor visibility, and time-effec tiveness by two independent radiologists. Results: Visualization of the uri nary tract by MRU was comparable to conventional excretory urography in 14 of 15 cases. Caliceal fornices were better delineated on conventional urogr aphies, whereas MRU was considered superior in the assessment of the inferi or ureter sections, the urinary bladder and obstructive tumors, whose exten ts could be clearly marked out. Examination times of both techniques were c omparable. Conclusion: These first results show that non-diuretic Gd-BOPTA enhanced MRU is comparable to conventional excretory urography for the preo perative diagnosis of pelvic tumors. Further improvements of this technique seem possible by optimization of examination intervals and injection doses .